Palaver
by TalionStormcrow
Summary: Occurs after Remnants Of a Broken Memory. Difur is up one night thinking and is met by Diego, who couldn't sleep. Sitting by the fire they talk, getting to know each other a bit more. It was rather exhausting making this before, during and after Thanksgiv


**OK! So this is something that I managed to cook up. It's a conversation between my OC and Diego, our favorite Saber! :D.**

 **PS: A 'Palaver' is a prolonged discussion between two or more people.**

 **I DO NOT OWN ICE AGE.. BUT IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY AWESOME IF I DID... BUT I DON'T.**

It was a warm night tonight, and all around the land the animals were dormant, eager to awake to the light of the rising sun. The air was clear, with a slight breeze, which swayed the leaves attached to an eclectic group of trees surrounding the area. Nearby was a waterfall, which gave the silent forest a stir, making sure every animal in the area was aware that Mother Nature was awake. It was.. Quaint.

Today had been a long day for the herd, starting out being rather normal, if your idea of normal being surrounded by a rather peculiar group of animals, the likes of which SHOULD be separated. Sid had woken everyone up with his loud snoring, Diego hitting Sid in the head in an attempt to snuff the ungodly sound from the animal and Manny watching it happen from the sideline, waiting to see what would happen... which usually ended up being a show itself. Everyone carried out their lives, Diego and Shira hunted and ate, returning to feed their child Draco, Crash and Eddie were playing pranks and getting themselves into any kind of trouble they could find, while Peaches went with Wiener to hang out with the teens. Difur had taken to this own and decided that the day called for a good scouting of the new area, which turned out to be fruitful for him.

When the sun had made its way behind the mountains, the herd gathered and ate, talked and laughed, and went to bed.. Except for Difur, who decided to stay up and entertain his mind with random thoughts about a plethora of topics and ideas, when he heard soft movement of what sounded like claws hitting the ground behind him. He didn't stir.. Not one bit.

Diego saw the weasel, his back towards him, slightly hunched with his upper body positioned forward. He watched him look up at the stars, twitch his ear, and just sit by the fire, staring at the tips of the flames which presented him with a dance comprised entirely of improvisation. He sat there, completely unaware of Diego's presence, and looked as though he were deep in thought. Diego walked silently up to him, and took his place on the opposite side of the fire, where he laid down, resting his head on his paws. Both of them were silently watching the show before them, the flames performing their dance, warming up those who are willing to watch.

Diego looked at Difur, the flames illuminating the scars on his body, his eyes glowing, reflecting the flames. It seemed as though his entire consciousness was fleeting, entering into a realm that was locked from the world, a place that only he can dwell in peace. Diego has seen him do this many times, often wondering how he managed to do it. He looked calm... Almost as if all of the fallacies of the world were nonexistent, the troubles given to him were irrelevant. Diego pondered this for a moment. He realized that one of the most interesting things about Difur was the fact that it wasn't his mouth that would give away what he was thinking about, or how he felt. It wasn't his body language either. Interestingly enough... It was his eyes. It seemed to Diego that his friend's emerald orbs were the only thing that gave him away. On this night however... Diego couldn't figure him out. He read Difur as much as he could, to no avail. His eyes were in a position that gave him a sense of discontent, probably unhappiness towards something.

Difur continued to stare, his eyes only hiding themselves for a second to blink, only to resume their position. Paying no mind to anyone or anything around him he delved deep into his head, reminiscing and remembering what came before.

 _Marwyn..._

An image of her flashed in his head, and in a sort of reflexive response he shifted a bit. He hated doing that, remembering. All it did was... He couldn't think of the word. Hurt? Wound? Yea... We'll go with wound. He shifted a bit, blinking and moving his gaze away from the fire for a few seconds before returning back to it.

Diego lifted his head a bit, noticing the change. After Difur returned his gaze to the fire, Diego shifted his away towards the forest. After a while he rested his head, and sighed, releasing the air held in his lungs.

"Am I boring you?" Diego's ears perked, his attention being drawn to the weasel in front of him. Difur was looking at him, brought out from his trance by the simple exhalation.

"I'm sorry?" Diego looked back at him, eye contact was being made by both animals.

"You sighed, I was just wondering if it was due to boredom." Diego didn't sense any tension from the comment, it was sincere. Diego felt easy, and decided that he could be open.

"No, I was just out here hoping the flames would lull me to sleep or something. I can't always handle Sids snoring." Difur chuckled at the comment, Diego glad that he wasn't the only one.

"Yea.. It can be a bit annoying." A bit of silence became of them.

"So..", Diego continued, "What are you doing out here? I mean... You aren't tired?"

Difur looked down, playing with a stick that he had picked up from beside him. It was thin, with a couple of pieces branching off of it. "I was uh.. Just... Thinking."

"About what?" Diego had an idea, but wanted to hear for himself. Besides, making conversation may help him fall asleep.

"... About my family." Difur broke the stick and cast it aside. He looked at Diego, "Just about how I met Marwyn, and how she came to be my mate."

Diego frowned. He knew this was a sensitive topic, but he was interested in knowing this himself. Come to think of it... It's always been in the back of his head. He sat up, "Well... How did you meet her?"

Difur stared at the fire for a bit, wondering where to begin. "Well... It began when I was young, about to take the oath to become a Ranger..."

 _The land was covered in snow, the sunlight shining on the white blanket, giving warmth to the world. The area had been turned into a village for the tribe, and here we see a young weasel standing at the edge of a cliff, staring at the scene before him. There was snow, as far as the eye can see. Along the mountains, in the valley, on the hilltops._

 _"Difur! Get in line! We're starting the final training exercise!" Difur turned around to see one of his fellow peers, clad in Ranger gear. He ran over to the weasel._

 _"This is it Difur... If we pass we become a Ranger. Are you nervous?"_

 _Difur smiled, "No. If I were nervous I wouldn't have gotten this far, Halmir. Come, let's finish this." Both of them walked over to a clearing in the village, where the whole tribe gathered to watch the recruits in support. Families were waiting to see if their child were to become one of the elite warriors._

 _"RECRUITS!" A commending voice rang out, echoing in the air. The source was from a weasel, standing in the middle of the crowd. He was muscular, his body had shown what he'd been through. Scars traveled throughout his back, chest and arms. He carried a sword, sheathed and placed on his back._

 _" Today we find out who will pass the final test... To become a Ranger. You've all done well, almost worthy of such a title. It is likely that most of you will not make it... But we will see. Your task is simple... Take me out. Force me to concede in a one on one duel. This test is to show your prowess, your courage and your strength in a real life combat situation. I warn you... This will hurt."_

 _Halmir leaned over to Difur, "What a whack job eh?"_

 _Difur smiled, "Only you would say such a thing, Halmir."_

 _"DIFUR!" The weasel stopped talking, his eyes fixed upon Difur, who could see the anger in them. "Perhaps, being a man of such a high reputation, you should be the first to prove your worth." The recruits looked at the weasel standing among them, Difur not moving an inch, his face was stoic. "Come forth and show me if your abilities are as powerful as your words."_

 _Difur walked out, standing in front of his opponent. This is it, now it all comes down this, and Difur realized it quickly._

 _"The rules are simple, I concede, you win. The blades we possess have been dulled down a bit, but as you can see.." He took his blade and brought it to his finger, the blade ran along it, opening the skin and drawing blood. "They are still capable of doing their job. We will not kill each other, nor will our injuries be fatal.. Well... Only to our pride." He smiled, and it was maddening. To Difur it seemed as though this weasel wasn't in the right frame of mind._

 _"Are you ready?" Difur nodded, and both combatants raised their weapons. The crowd was silent, eagerly awaiting the fate of the recruit._

 _"Your father was a great man. Even better fighter, let's see just how much of his blood runs through your veins."_

 _"Yes Aldar." Difur waited, analyzing his opponent. He looked for any weaknesses, which was tough due to the fact that Aldar was almost all muscle. He breathed, and Aldar charged._

 _Difur quickly moved to the side, but Aldars blade managed to cut his arm. Difur didn't feel it, but he felt the blood begin to run. Aldar ran forward, attempting a heavy attack. Difur stepped, and swung his blade into Aldars side, causing him to throw off his attack and withdraw backward a bit. "Good!" He grunted, dragging his hand across his side, turning it red. Difur didn't even give him a chance to recuperate, he zeroed the distance between them and ran his blade across Aldars face, earning an angry roar from his opponent._

 _"Your father taught you well, Maggot! It's a shame his skills weren't enough to stop himself from being torn apart by sabers!" At this Difur lost his focus. He angrily trudged forward and attempted to disarm Aldar, but was met with a sharp pain going up his chest as Aldar managed to swing his blade across it. Aldar smiled, "You never underestimate your opponent Difur.." He walked over, adamant in his victory over the weasel. He brought his blade back, and just before he managed to cut down Difur he watched his arm get pulled back, the blade twisted in his hand and his body bend down. Difur was in control of Aldars body. Difur twisted his hand, the blade falling out. He turned Aldar around and kicked out his feet from under him and pushed on his chest, slamming him to the ground._

 _The recruits began shouting at the two, amazed at the display taking place. Aldar looked over for a moment before Difur pinned him. He raised his blade up to Aldars throat and shouted in anger, his intention clear before a voice rang out among the chaos._

 _"DIFUR!" Difur looked over, it was Halmir. He had his hand raised, a gesture of hesitation brought forth. Difur looked back down at his opponent, who had bleeding wounds and a couple of deep scratches. He lowered his weapon, allowing Aldar to get back up._

 _"A rather vulgar display of power. You do have your father in you... But a bit of criticism. Next time you choose to lose your temper, be sure your enemy doesn't notice, that's a sign of weakness, which they will act upon." Aldar limped a bit, covering his wound on his side. "They definitely won't be as easy on you."_

 _Aldar stood up straight, "So it is... This tribe shall be given a new Ranger! Difur... Congratulations. I concede." The crowd clapped and cheered, as did the recruits. "You will now head over to the armory, where you will be given your new attire and weapons." Difur and Aldar bowed, "You will also bear tribal markings, they will be a reminder of what you are ONLY, not who you are." Difur turned and left without another word, and as he left he heard Aldar call out another name of a recruit. How he could do this was beyond Difur, but he decided to let it be. He made his way over to the armory. As he did, his gaze fell upon the people of the village, he saw women bringing in food while the children played, the men getting ready to hunt or scout. Then he heard a voice, a woman's voice.. It was singing. Difur looked around, trying to find the source of it. Just in front of him, he found her._

"She was the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." Diego saw him smile, a genuine one at that. "Long, slender body.. Beautiful light brown fur.. Her hands, Diego, were that of an angels... And her eyes... I've never seen eyes like those. They just... Pierce your heart and gaze at your soul."

 _Difur tailed the female weasel, careful not to get caught. Her song reached her ears, and was forever in his memory._

 _To lands afar, and oceans blue,_

 _Two souls aligned, me and you._

 _And in this light, so bright and fair,_

 _Our hearts collide, this passion we share._

 _You've had your days, both white and black,_

 _No matter what, love brings you back._

 _For now and then, for here and there,_

 _Our present and past, our futures we wear..._

"And in this life, I have seen..." Difur looked down, his smile returning, "A love for me, shall be shared in between..." Difur fell silent.

".. You miss her." Diego half-whispered.

"Yes.. I do." Diego frowned. He knew how much pain Difur had encountered, what he's been through. "So after you found her, what did you do?"

"Well..*sigh*.. I did what anyone would do...Mess up my approach horribly."

 _Difur decided he had to get a closer look. He made his way into a crowd of weasels, hoping the cover would be sufficient. He kept his eyes on the woman, watching her glide her way through to her hut. After she entered and was out of sight he left his cover. He carefully made his way to the entrance, listening to her sing..._

 _-No matter what, love brings you back.._

 _For now and then, for here and there.._

 _Our present and past, our futures we wear..._

 _And in this life, I have seen.._

 _"-In all my time I've been here.. Never have I heard such a voice."_

 _The weasel turned in surprise, her eyes met with Difurs. "Hello.. Difur is it?"_

 _Difurs expression went blank. He was totally entranced by the form before him. ".. Yea.." He said in a slur. After a moment he came to his senses and shook his head, regaining his composure. "And who... Are you my dear?"_

 _"Marwyn. Now I have another question for you.. Difur. Is there something you want?" She smiled as she spoke, her voice was soft. Difur didn't know what to say... Honestly he didn't think this far._

 _"I...uh...well..I was uhh.." Marwyn laughed, amused at the scene taking place. "Come now, Ranger. Speak."_

 _"I was just heading over to the armory to get my new gear, on my way I heard your voice, and I just had to know the source. You sing like an angel."_

 _Marwyn blushed a bit, "Well thanks, my mother used to sing it to me when I was young. It's about two should who's lives are forever intertwined."_

 _Difur looked around the hut, leaning up against the front post. "Your hut is well decorated."_

 _"My father had the village make it for me... Pity, I don't really care for all of this. Eomir insisted though, so I didn't have much choice. I'd give all of it up and leave if I had the chance."_

 _"You would eh? Trust me, it isn't all its cracked up to be. The forests are dangerous, you never know what lurks around every turn."_

 _"Is that so? Look at the big bad Ranger talking about the demonic entities of the woodland realm." She mocked him._

 _"You sound so sure that you could handle it."_

 _"I could. I fear neither death nor pain, Ranger. I don't know about you, but living here in this place isn't what I want to do for the rest of my life. I dream of things bigger than you and me. I want out.. But my father forbids it._

 _"Listen...I have to go to my father Eomir, he is making a speech today. We'll have to continue this conversation later. How about you meet me at the cliffside tonight, then we'll talk."_

 _"Uh.. Yea, yea sure. Absolutely." Difur was at a loss for words, did he just get asked out by this woman? Difur didn't say anything else, he just watched as Marwyn made her way out of the hut, passing by Difur, her arm brushed against his chest as she did. He took in air, and caught her scent. It was intoxicating to him._

 _"_ After the speech, I met her where she asked. From there we hit it off. She was absolutely delightful to be around Diego...I loved her so much."

"Difur..."

"I know. I forgive you Diego." More silence. Neither knew what to say. Difur got up and fed the fire, grabbing more sticks and throwing them on, when he did Diego caught sight of his markings on his body. There were two different ones, some pointing forward, some pointing back. "Those markings... What do they represent?" He's seen them before, but he never knew what they meant.

Difur looked down at his tattooed body. "They are reminders of my battles. The ones pointing north, they are battles I've won. The ones pointing south I've lost. I didn't want them but... It's tradition. Every Ranger carries them."

"Battles? I've been in a few myself. I've had to fight for territory for the pack. I'll admit it feels good to gain territory and be able to-"

"There is nothing good about wars... They bring death... The tribes I've fought against have committed atrocious acts... Killing women, burning children at the stake..." Diego looked at him with surprise. "Yes Diego.. I have seen that. There is nothing.. Good.. About war. Father's go to fight for the safety of their family, yes..but the toll itself is enough to bring anyone to their knees."

I've.. Never had to deal with that sort of thing-"

"Of course not. You're a saber, sabers don't feel, right? You kill. I've seen it before. You lived in a 'pack', one must look out for themselves in that instance, so why should you care if one dies?"

"Hey!" Diego growled, "I never said I didn't care about those who died. I had to be that way, I didn't make that choice. I Never had a family, I've never had a loved one, or an animal that cared about me."

Difur sat back down, understanding Diego's point. "But you do now."

"Well.. Yes. I do. I don't regret what had happened. Even though Soto didn't have to die, I don't regret it happening. I'm happy now, when I met Manny and Sid, I thought of them as a meal... But now I see them as much more. They're my family now. My FAMILY Difur... And I feel happy." Diego smiled, "I never dreamed any of this would happen... But it did."

"And it was a good thing that happened. Out of all of the bad that occurred... This came out of it."

"Yes... Yea it did." Diego looked at the fire. Difur grabbed a stick beside him and pointed it at the fire, the flames catching it and taking it for their own. He watched as the flames slowly made their way across the stick.

"And now you're a part of this herd, Difur.. Don't forget that. This is a new beginning for you."

"I know. I wouldn't have it any other way." Difur smiled, looking up at his friend. "For too long do we choose to walk down our paths, our peripheral vision looking upon the ghosts of what came before... For too long do we let them stand there, waiting to see our reaction, their disfigurations taunting us. There they wait patiently... And once we pass them do we allow them to gather behind us, their burden gaining strength at every turn.. I wish to break that chain Diego... But I can't."

"Why not? I have. We all have. If we continue to remind ourselves of the negatives in our lives they would take over, leaving us with nothing but a void. You should just let it all go."

"I can't.. The memories.. They're all I have."

"Do you think Marwyn would want you to hang on to her like that? I've seen you Difur.. You still grieve, you quake, you'll seclude yourself... and its been a long time since that incident. It seems weird coming from the very animal responsible but... You have already carried a great burden on your shoulders.. You shouldn't have to carry the weight of the dead."

"The burden is mine to carry, not yours."

"I feel it is also mine.." Difur was going to respond, but he closed his mouth.

"It's gotten better.. The nightmares have left me. I'm trying to deal, but it's an everyday battle."

"I see that. And things will get better, just give it time."

"Yea.. I will."

Both of them turned around to look at Sid, who made a loud snore that echoed a bit. "Yep... That's why I'm over here." Difur returned to his normal position with a smirk on his face, "Gonna have to get used to that I guess."

"You will, Sid isn't the smartest animal, nor does he have the best hygiene, but I'll be the first to tell you that he has the purest heart... Even more so than mine. He'd give all he could to take care of those he loves, like his family.. And yet they find it in them to abandon him."

"But he has his grandmother."

"His grandmother was dumped as well, we ran into his 'family' before we got separated from Ellie and Peaches. I'm glad he has us, and I'm sure he is as well. If it weren't for him we wouldn't even be here.. He made this herd."

"Sounds like he played the most important part."

"He did..He met Manny during the migration. Manny had no interest, so he went his own way until he ran into Sid. They were trying to bring a human baby."

"Dangerous for a sloth. A lot of predators around, and yet he chooses to do that? Brave but... Dumb."

"That's what I was thinking, when he met me he didn't seem THAT afraid, although I did intimidate him. He had the courage to call me out over my saying I wanted to return the baby, telling me I was a liar... And he was right. At first the tension was high but as we traveled together we got used to each other. He got attached to us, at first I thought it was out of his need for protection but.. As the years went on I found out he actually cared more about us than himself. Being there for him is the least I could do for all he's done. At least here he knows he is safe. He's surrounded by those who actually care, even though sometimes it may seem like we don't." Diego frowned, it was true, and Sid told them multiple times that he felt he wasn't getting the respect he deserved. Both Manny and Diego have said some things to Sid that, if he had said to them, he probably would have been beaten to a pulp.

"He's a good soul... Even if he can be kind of repulsive sometimes."

Both animals laughed at the comment. The fire had reduced to embers, the pile glowing around the ashes. Difur put a couple more pieces of wood on there. "I've seen some pretty weird things Diego. But never have I seen a herd like this."

"It's amazing, we broke the laws of nature. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. This herd had given me a lot to think about. It changed me, made me realize what love means, and what it feels like to be loved."

"You've never really experienced much of that have you?"

"No. When it comes to being a predator, you have to learn to survive quickly. I was born in a litter of six, four girls and two boys. I was the runt, and found it the toughest to survive."

"Doesn't seem like it."

"Thanks... But it's true. During my first year I lost two of my siblings, my brother and my sister. We were out playing around in the snow, wandering away from my mother while my father hunted. Then we were attacked by humans. Luckily my father was nearby and managed to protect me, but they got my siblings. When we came home he pinned me and bit me as punishment. The wound healed but it still hurt. My father never really cared for me considering I was the smallest. He always taught the girls, leaving me at home. So one day my mother took me out, and taught me. I caught my first meal that day... A rabbit." Diego smiled, remembering his youth. " A year and a half later she died, along with my other siblings. Attacked by more humans... We should have moved after that first attack but my father insisted we stay because it was near the breeding grounds for the deer."

"What of your father?"

"I don't really like to refer to him as my father. He's only my blood... After that we decided to stick together, but he would always blame me for what happened. He would tell me that he wished it were me that died instead of my mom... I hated that man." Diego's face contorted a bit, his hatred showing. Then I grew up and I left, wandering the land alone.

"What happened to your father?"

Diego looked at his paws, the padding on the bottom was black. "He died from a hunting accident. His leg was mangled, and soon after it was infected."

Difur didn't say anything, he just stared at Diego, watching him look at his paws.

"Do you miss her?"

"Who?"

"Your mother... Do you miss her?" Difur spoke softly, he didn't want to raise his voice out of fear of waking the herd. His voice was low, with a calm and sincere tone.

" Well of course. But I don't dwell on it. I've got everything I need now, so I don't need to think about what happened." Diego yawned, his sharp teeth presenting themselves as his entire mouth stretched. He lowered his body, stretching out his muscles. Difur could hear several pops and cracks come from the saber.

"Tired?"

Diego laid his head on his paws, "yea.. I'm going to try to get a few hours out here. The breeze feels nice anyway."

"Alright Diego. I'm probably going to do the same." Difur watched him slowly lower his eyelids, his hazel eyes disappearing beneath them. His mind was at peace, and soon he began to snore a bit. Difur looked up, his own ambers glowing from the moonlight. He took in the vastness of the heavens above, the vastness of space.

"... Should we meet on a different plane,"

"Our lovely light, Still not mundane..."

"Up above, I watch over you..." He paused, and in the silence he heard a voice...

 _"You still love me, and I love you too.."_ Difur closed his eyes, and a few seconds later laid out his gear around him, his robe beneath him to add a bit of comfort. He looked at the fire, which was dying out, and closed his eyes... And drifted away.

 _Goodnight my love..._

 **A week later and it's done! I hope you liked it, because it took a lot of my willpower not to throw it out -_-. But hey, another story done. Reviews are greatly encouraged :) and thanks for reading. Namaste! Time for bed.**


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